The world of bakeries has taken a turn in recent years, becoming much more than just a place to buy bread. In Barcelona, good bakeries abound, with history and soul. However, on this occasion, I would like to talk about three bakeries that stand out as a differentiating trend in the retail sector.
The reason? Not only do they offer exceptional sourdough bread, but they also pay meticulous attention to every detail, from marketing to product presentation and customer service, maintaining consistency throughout. These bakeries embody the famous 3Ps of retail (product, process, and people), managing to provide the much-desired convenience and comfort.
Turris, Baluard, and Mayer are like the kings of trendy bakeries in Barcelona. Each has its own style, but all are exceptional. What makes them so special is not only the good quality, but also the way they present it, take care of the space, and create an atmosphere that makes you feel good from the moment you walk through the door.
Turris is a story of dedication and passion; since 2008, they have been making artisanal bread daily in the traditional style. The master baker, Xavier Barriga, comes from a family of bread lovers and in 2008 opened his own bakery on Aribau street in Barcelona. Since then, the Turris family has grown, and today it has 34 bakeries beyond Barcelona, in Sant Cugat, Sabadell, Granollers, Badalona, and even in Madrid, all with their own visible glassed-in workshops.
At Turris, talking about people, craft, patience, tact, passion, creativity, and sustainability is not just a motto: it is lived in every corner of the bakery. The Turris experience has become a part of my morning routine. On Saturdays, when I go for a run, my obligatory stop is this bakery, because the bread is impeccable and breakfast is a delight, the best way to start the day.
Turris has launched its own Turriscao, a tender brioche filled with cocoa cream. The first time I tried it, they told me in the store: "We've launched this, let's see what you think." I liked it so much that now, when I go, I can't help but take four or five. The funniest anecdote was when the manager recognized me one morning and said: "Above all, don't forget the Turriscaos, we've moved them." This personalized attention, this vocation for service, is what makes it a quality bakery.
And this is something I emphasize a lot: differentiating between stores that simply dispense products and those that truly sell experiences. Many retail companies lose large sums of money by not focusing on selling, but only on dispensing products. Turris is a bakery focused on selling, and that's why it's number one. In turn, Turris's online store facilitates direct delivery to your preferred location, and with the click and collect option, you can pick it up at the workshop in the neighborhood that suits you best.
Turris, Baluard, and Mayer stand out for their focus on selling, not just as places of dispensing, but as true sellers of experiences.Baluard, with a rich family history dating back to 1892, masterfully merges tradition and modernity, under the leadership of Anna Bellsolà, a fourth-generation professional. In 2007, this emblematic bakery opened its doors on Baluard 38 street in Barceloneta, marking the beginning of a new era by carefully designing each type of bread it wished to produce and by building its first wood-fired oven.
Over the years, Baluard has not only produced numerous exquisite breads but also a loyal clientele and several accolades. Anna Bellsolà was honored with the prestigious award for Best Professional in 2010 by the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy and, additionally, received recognition as Young Bakery Entrepreneur in 2011, granted by the Bakers' Guild, thus solidifying Baluard's reputation as a benchmark bakery in Barcelona.
The collaboration with the Praktik hotel chain marked a milestone for Baluard by inaugurating the world's first hotel-bakery. In 2014, a second bakery opened, further expanding its presence in 2015 to locations such as Pedralbes and El Corte Inglés's Gourmet plazas. And in 2016, they established an exclusive workshop to supply bread to various gastronomic points in Barcelona, inaugurating their third wood-fired oven.
In these three bakeries, the 3Ps of retail (product, process, and people) play a fundamental role in offering convenience and comfortMayer bakeries, present in many of Barcelona's neighborhoods, from Gràcia to Poble-sec or Sarrià, produce artisanal breads, maintaining French savoir-faire. They offer a wide variety of handmade breads, croissants and other completely artisanal products.
The pastry chef Eran Mayer trained in France at the prestigious École Ferrandi. He ran a successful bakery in Paris that was ranked as one of the ten best bakeries in the city for its traditional French baguette, so, knowing this detail, we can get an idea of the quality of the product.
As I said, in these three bakeries, the 3Ps of retail (product, process, and people) play a fundamental role in offering convenience and comfort. The differentiation between dispensing and selling stores lies in their ability to sell unique experiences.
Both Turris, Baluard, and Mayer stand out for their focus on selling, not just as dispensing places, but as true sellers of experiences. The visual and comfort component, from product presentation to personalized interaction with customers, is key to increasing sales.